piece, drawing his coat-tails under his arms, although there was no fire to scorch them. After staring fixedly at the rug for a few moments he jerked back his head, and asked abruptly,—

"Do you know anything of this man— St. Clare, I believe he calls himself?"

"You saw him at Lord Talbot's, I suppose," replied Langley, avoiding his friend's eyes. "I know nothing of him; I have seen him here once or twice, but I do not think I have ever spoken to him."

"You don't know where he comes from, or what his family is ?"

"No; I have only heard that he is a friend of Lord Talbot's, and very rich."

"Um! you never happened to hear if he had a sister, or if he comes from a place called Clare Court?"

1

"No; how should I know, anything about him? You had better ask some one

else. I neither know, nor do I want to

know, anything of him. Why this curiosity of yours about him?"

"Natural enough," replied Justin, again fixing his eyes on his friend's face; "one) generally takes an interest in one's future brother-in-law."

A sudden rush of colour came over Langley's face, and faded away again, leaving him a shade paler.

"I am surprised you have not taken more notice of a young man paying my sister such marked attention, as I hear has How is it you never men

been the case.
tioned it in your letters?

I should have thought any one likely to be connected with our family would have been an object of interest to you, You might have watched over my little sister's interest during my absence."

"How could I, Justin? it is no concern of mine. I was not supposed to see what was going on; though, certainly, he has been here very often."

"Then you really think there is something in it?" exclaimed Justin, turning on him, almost fiercely. "St. Clare Lavaine little knows me, if he thinks I would let my sister marry him," he continued, knitting his eyebrows, and striding to and fro the room, knocking tables, chairs, and boxes in his quick walk. There was compressed anger in his face, his brows were contracted, and his colour went and came fitfully. He stopped in front of Langley, abruptly, and asked: "He has not been trifling with Ethel, has he?-what the world calls flirting?"

"No, I think not," replied Langley. "Why are you so angry? he is surely a good match for your sister; he seems in all respects a gentleman. I think you are forming rather a harsh judgment of him; unless, indeed, you know more of him than suppose."

I

"Yes, I do; I know more of him than any one else, except his friend Lord Talbot."

"Indeed! What do you know then?"

"I cannot tell you."

Then there was silence for a few moments in the little room, while Justin meditated sternly, and Langley smoked on steadily, his face gleaming out from wreaths of smoke now and then, pale and still, like calm thought, from the mist of speculation and fancy.

"You have never noticed anything peculiar in Mr. St. Clare's manners or conversation, or heard any one remark any eccentricity in him?”

"No; but have you not harped enough on this theme? I should be glad if you would change the subject, or if not, let us be silent."

A new light seemed to break on Justin's mind; he brought his black eyebrows down, and looked out from under them, with his penetrating black eyes, while he said :

"Indeed! not a pleasing subject to you? One question more and I shall have done.

VOL. II.

Do you think this a good match for my sister?"

"As far as I can tell, certainly," replied Langley, deliberately. "He is rich, handsome, accomplished, and, I believe, he loves her." Langley spoke slowly, as though weighing his words, with a determination to be fair, and if he erred at all, that the weight should be over, not under.

"You are in favour of the marriage, then?" asked Justin, with wily art.

"I!-what have I to do with it? But you said you would ask no more questions." And Langley went on smoking calmly. But his friend was not to be baffled; he was determined to know one thing, even if he stayed up all night to cross-question him. He could read that phlegmatic countenance; he knew the shifts whereby Langley would screen his own heart from observation.

"Well, Langley, as friend to friend, and brother to brother, answer me frankly this: